Lilac plant name ‘SMSJBP7’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lilac plant named ‘SMSJBP7’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; dark purple-colored flower buds; large inflorescences with fragrant dark lavender purple-colored flowers; long flowering period and remontant flowering habit; and good cold hardiness.

Botanical designation: Syringa hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMSJBP7’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lilacplant, botanically known as Syringa hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘SMSJBP7’.

The new Lilac plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new compact Lilac plants with repeat floweringhabit and unique flower colors.

The new Lilac plant originated from an open-pollination during thespring of 2006 of Syringa hybrida ‘Penda’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 20,575, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietaryselection of Syringa hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The newLilac plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollinationin a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. during the spring of2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lilac plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since the springof 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Lilac plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lilac have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMSJBP7’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMSJBP7’ as a new and distinct Lilac plant:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Dark purple-colored flower buds.    -   6. Large inflorescences with fragrant dark lavender        purple-colored flowers.    -   7. Long flowering period and remontant flowering habit.    -   8. Good cold hardiness.

Plants of the new Lilac can be compared to plants of the female parent,‘Penda’. Plants of the new Lilac differ primarily from plants of ‘Penda’in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lilac are larger and more vigorous than        plants of ‘Penda’.    -   2. Plants of the new Lilac have darker-colored flower buds than        plants of ‘Penda’.    -   3. Plants of the new Lilac have larger inflorescences than        plants of ‘Penda’.    -   4. Plants of the new Lilac have a stronger remontant flowering        habit than plants of ‘Penda’.

Plants of the new Lilac can be also compared to plants of the Syringahybrida ‘SMSXPM’, disclosed in U.S. plant patent application Ser. No.13/987,979. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich.,plants of the new Lilac differed primarily from plants of ‘SMSXPM’ inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lilac were more upright than and not as        outwardly spreading plants of ‘SMSXPM’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Lilac were not as fragrant as        flowers of plants of ‘SMSXPM’.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Lilac and ‘SMSXPM’ differed in        flower bud and flower color as plants of ‘SMSXPM’ had dark        pink-colored flower buds and light pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Lilac plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lilac plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of aflowering typical plant of ‘SMSJBP7’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘SMSJBP7’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in anoutdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practicestypical of commercial production. Plants were four years old when thephotographs and the description were taken. In the description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Syringa hybrida ‘SMSJBP7’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Syringa hybrida ‘Penda’, disclosed            in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,575.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of            Syringa hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at 27° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            months at 27° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright and            somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth            habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, about 27 lateral            branches develop per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 92 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread): About 85 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 36 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 4.2 cm.        -   Aspect.—About 10° to 20° from vertical.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—Close to 197A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 4.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire; slightly undulate and ciliate; no sinuses.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rough, pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 139A; venation, close to 145C. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 137B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 139A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single salverform            flowers arranged and axillary terminal panicles;            inflorescences moderately dense to dense and conical in            shape; freely flowering habit with usually about 126 flowers            developing per inflorescence; flowers face mostly outwardly            on inflorescences that may be upright, horizontal or            downward depending on the inflorescences' position on the            plant.        -   Natural flowering season and flower longevity.—Long            flowering period; plants of the new Lilac flower from spring            to autumn in Grand Haven, Mich.; remontant flowering habit;            flowers last about three to four weeks on the plant; flowers            not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; fragrance sweet and            pleasant.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 7 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 1 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 93A.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Single whorl of four            petals; lower portion of petals fused forming a narrow tube;            corolla tube semi-erect to horizontal and occasionally            recurved; corolla tube without undulations. Lobe length:            About 5 mm. Lobe width: About 2 mm. Corolla tube length:            About 1.2 cm to 1.5 cm. Corolla tube diameter: About 2 mm.            Lobe shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire; apical            margin initially moderately to strongly incurved and            becoming flatter with development. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, petal lobe            upper surface: Close to 83C. When opening, petal lobe lower            surface: Close to 83A. Fully opened, petal lobe upper            surface: Close to 81B. Fully opened, petal lobe lower            surface: Close to 81D. Corolla tube, inner and outer            surfaces: Close to 83A to 83C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Single whorl of three to            four sepals; fused towards the base forming a            campanulate-shaped calyx. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About            3 mm. Shape: Subulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 144D.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 14 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 40° to 50° from lateral            branch axis. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 148A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° to 55° from peduncle            axis. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 148A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per            flower: About four. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther            length: About 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 187B. Amount of            pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Gynoecium: Pistil            length: About 5 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:            Close to 18B. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: Close to            18B. Ovary: Close to 148A.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm            to 4 mm. Texture: Leathery. Color: Initially, close to 156B;            with development becoming closer to 166A and eventually            closer to 198B.        -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Color:            Close to 165A.-   Garden performance. Plants of the new Lilac have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −31° C. to about 38° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Lilac have been    observed to be resistant to root rots common to Lilac plants. Plants    of the new Lilac have not been shown to be resistant to pests and    other pathogens common to Lilac plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lilac plant named ‘SMSJBP7’ asillustrated and described.